preternatural
adjective
G. L. Dickinson
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Preternatural derives from the Latin phrase praeter naturam, which means "beyond nature." Medieval Latin scholars rendered the term as praeternaturalis, and that form inspired the modern English version. Unusual things are sometimes considered positive and sometimes negative, and throughout its history preternatural has been used to refer to both exceptionally good things and unnaturally evil ones. In its earliest documented uses in the 1500s, it tended to emphasize the strange, ominous, or foreboding, but by the 1700s, people were using it more benignly to refer to fascinating supernatural (or even heavenly) phenomena. Nowadays, people regularly use it to describe the remarkable abilities of exceptional humans.
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Examples of preternatural in a Sentence
Gary Peterson, The Mercury News, 19 June 2024
In a different cycle, brains and rationality might prevail over preternatural athleticism, as when the hyperanalytical Yul Kwon beat Ozzy Lusth in Survivor: Cook Islands despite the latter being one of the most physically dominant players of all time.
—Mark Harris, Vulture, 4 June 2024
The startling breadth of Kerala is almost preternatural.
—Scott Hocker, theweek, 15 Apr. 2024
Even then, his preternatural confidence in his own abilities was clear.
—Zachariah Mampilly, Foreign Affairs, 28 Feb. 2023
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“Preternatural.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preternatural. Accessed 27 Jun. 2024.
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preternatural
adjective
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